Grinspoon



Aug. 11, 1959 Filed Sept. 1, 1955 H. GRINSPOON OPEN-ENDED CARTON FOR PACKAGING PAPER CUPS AND OTHER ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet l 12240922602 Har oicl Giz'n-spoow,

Aug. 11, 1959 H. GRINSPOON 2,899,049

7 OPEN-ENDED CARTON FOR PACKAGING PAPER CUPS AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed Sept. 1, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iweaiora- Hczflold Gaiz'nspoow, Q9 Q4222 Q. 22%

fliioa' ne y 11, 1959 H. GRINSPOON 2,899,049

' OPEN-ENDED CARTON FOR PACKAGING PAPER 9 CUPS AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed Sept. 1, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 sea,

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OPEN-ENDED CARTON FOR PACKAGING PAPER CUPS AND OTHER ARTICLES Harold Grinspoon, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Mulfi- Carton Corporation, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 1, 1955, Serial No. 531,906

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to cartons made of paper board or similar sheet material, for packaging groups of articles, such as food containers of the covered paper cup type, and pertains more particularly to cartons known as the band or sleeve type. Such cartons consist generally of a four-sided band, with open ends through which the cups are inserted, provided with some sort of locking device to hold the cups in place. Some examples of cartons of this general type are disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 471,553, filed Nov. 29, 1954, now Patent No. 2,840,233.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide, on a band type of carton, a simple and eifective locking flap arrangement in which the flaps automatically engage and lock the cups securely in place when they are inserted. Other objects are to provide a carton which can be produced at low cost, with a minimum of waste of sheet material, which can be easily packed, either by machinery or by hand, and which presents a neat and attractive appearance.

The paper cup type of container commonly used for packaging individual portions of foods, such as ice cream, has a circular wall and a recessed bottom, leaving a downwardly projecting rim around the bottom. The cover, which is ordinarily a flat paper board disk, is also recessed so as to leave an upwardly projecting rim around the top, and is set in an interior groove in the wall of the cup. The upper edge of thecup wall may be rolled to form a stiffening bead which projects outward from the wall. The cup may be slightly tapered in diameter so that it is smaller at the bottom than at the top.

In one form, the carton here disclosed consists, in general, of a onepiece band of paper board with its end overlapped at the top, the inner of the overlapped ends being cut and bent down to'form vertical flaps which engage edgewise inside the upper rims of the cups. The bottom of the band may also be folded up to form vertical flaps which engage edgewise inside the lower rims of the cups. In another form the ends of the band are joined at the bottom and bent up to form vertical flaps. In still another form, the band may have vertical flaps struck out of the top and bottom walls.

In the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a sleeve type of carton constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the sleeve with cups in place, shown partly in cross-section, taken, for example, along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the sleeve is made;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the sleeve with cups in place, shown partly in cross-section, for example along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modification of the sleeve;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the modification of Fig. 5

nited States Patent shown partly in cross-section along line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank for forming another modification of the sleeve;

Fig. 8 is a side view of a sleeve made from the blank of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the sleeve of Fig. 8, with cups in place, portions of the top being broken away;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a further modification of the sleeve;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the blank from which the sleeve of Fig. 10 is made;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a blank for forming still another modification of the sleeve; and

Fig. 13 is a side view of a sleeve made from the blank of Fig. 12, with cups in place, shown partly in crosssection.

In forming the sleeve of Figs. 14, a blank is cut and scored to form a top wall 20, side walls 21 and 22, a bottom wall composed of side portions 23a and 23b and central portions 230 and 23d, and a top joining flap 24 having a margin which is cut into three flaps 25a, 25b and 250. The top wall is extended to form a tab 20a which may be used as a finger grip for opening the assembled sleeve. A cut-out 26 is made in central portions 23c and 23d. If the sleeve is intended for tapered cups, an extra score line 27 is preferably provided on one of the side walls, for example on wall 22, to divide the assembled sleeve into parts of equal length so that it can be folded fiat. To assemble the sleeve, flap 24 is brought around and glued to the under side of top wall 20, and central portions 230 and 23d are folded along score lines 28, 29 and 30 and brought together and glued back to back, or fastened by staples or otherwise. These portions thus form flaps projecting upward from the bottom wall of the sleeve. The blank is also folded along line 31 so that flaps 25a, 25b and 250 project downward from the top wall. Preferably the flaps 25a, 25b and 25c are initially folded back flat against wall portion 24, and remains in this position when the assembled blank is stored flat. Thus, a well defined crease is produced along line 31, so that flaps 25a, 25b and 250 will stay in the proper position when the blank is set up for use.

The sleeve is intended for packaging two stacks of paper cups 32 arranged side by side. Each cup has an upper rim 33 terminating in a rolled bead 33a, a recessed cover 34, and a recessed bottom 35, leaving a lower rim 36. The lower rims of the upper cups are nested inside the upper rims of the lower cups. When the cups are in place in the sleeve, the flaps at the bottom formed by folding portions 230 and 23d together extend toward the recessed bottoms of the lower cups and engage edgewise against theinsides of the lower rims 36 of these cups. These flaps are of a width to extend all the way across the bottoms of the cups and engage the lower rims at two opposite points to prevent movement of the lower cups either toward or away from each other. The cups are thus kept properly spaced as well as locked in the sleeve.

The portions 23c and 23d are preferably so proportioned that the ends of these flaps will drag slightly on the bottoms of the cups so that the flaps cannot be easily dislodged. Flaps 25a and 250 engage in a similar manner against the insides of the upper rims 23 of the upper cups, and flap 25b is engaged between the two beads 33a of the upper cups to keep the cups spaced.

The cups can be easily inserted, as the top and bottom flaps can be pushed to one side to allow the cups to slide in. Once the flaps engage with the cup rims, however, the stacks of cups are held firmly and cannot be readily removed without tearing the sleeve. It is understood that the sleeve fits fairly tightly around the stacks. In particular, the bottom wall is preferably made slightly narrower than the outside diameter of the cups at the bottom as this produces tension on the bottom wall portions 23a and 23b and tends to cause the flaps formed by portions 230 and 23d to spring upright when the cups are pushed in. The solid top of this form of sleeve makes the package practically tamper-proof and also provides a good surface area for printing decorative or advertising material.

In the modification shown in Figs. and 6, the sleeve consists of a top Wall 37, side walls 38 and 39, a continuous bottom wall 40, and a top joining flap 41. The latter carries flaps 42 and 43 which project downward and engage inside the rims of the upper cups in the same manner as flaps 25a and 250 of the sleeve previously described. The top wall is slit to form a central strap 44 having curved margins 44a and 44b. When the cups are placed in the sleeve, the central strap is pushed down and the curved margins engage under the top beads of the upper cups, as described in my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 471,553, filed Nov. 29, 1954, now Patent No. 2,840,233. It is understood that the joining flap 41 is correspondingly slit to permit downward movement of center strap 44. The upper cups are thus locked against sidewise movement in either direction. A pair of flaps 45 and 46 are struck out of the bottom wall 40, and are bent up to engage edgewise against the insides of the bottom rims of the lower cups, and secure the bottom cups against outward displacement in the band.

In the form shown in Fig. 7, the blank is cut to form a solid top wall 47, side walls 48 and 49, a continuous bottom wall 50, and a top joining flap 51 to which flaps 52 and 53 are attached. Flaps 54 and 55 are struck out of the bottom wall. It will be noted that flaps 52 and 53 are cut obliquely and scored on a line 56 which is oblique with respect to the other fold lines of the blank. Flaps 54 and 55 are likewise cut obliquely and scored along oblique lines 57 and 58.

When the blank is assembled, the pairs of flaps at top and bottom are creased to slant in opposite directions. For example, as viewed in Fig. 8, flaps 52 and 54 slant to the left and flaps 53 and 55 slant to the right. The flaps are of such a length as to drag slightly on the tops and bottoms of the cups. As illustrated in Fig. 9, the cups can be easily pushed past the flaps 52 and 53 by an oblique motion in the general direction of the arrows 59 and 60, as the flaps will bend easily under forces in these directions. It is apparent, however, that the slanted position of the flaps, both in plan and with respect to the vertical plane makes them highly resistant to bending in such a direction as to permit the cups to be pulled out. Any outward force applied to the cups will cause the lower edges of the flaps to jam more tightly against the tops of the cups, and will cause the corners 52a and 53a to press more tightly against the upper rims, so that the flaps cannot readily be bent back beyond their fold lines 56. The same considerations apply to the bottom flaps 54 and 55, which are long enough to drag slightly on the bottoms of the lower cups.

The modified carton shown in Figs. and 11 is very similar to that shown in Figs. 5 and 6, except that the overlapping portion 41 is omitted and, instead, a pair of flaps 61 and 62 are struck out of the top wall 37. These flaps may have slanted base fol-d lines 6111 and 62a, respectively, and may be bent at a slight slant from the vertical plane in appropriate directions to facilitate insertion of the cups and to present a maximum resistance to outward pull, once the cups are in place. For example, as viewed in Fig. 10, flaps 61 and 62 would initially be bent to slant toward wall 38 so that they have an inward as well as sideward slope with respect to the sleeve. Flaps 45 and 46, which are struck out of the bottom wall, may be similarly disposed on a slant and bent toward wall 38.

In the form shown in Fig. 12', the blank is cut and scored to form a top wall 63, side walls 64 and 65,'a bottom wall portion 66, to which are attached three flaps 68a,68b,-and 68c, and a bottom wall portion 67 to which are attached flaps 69a, 69b, and 690. A pair of generally circular flaps 70 and 71, with tabs 70a and 71a, are cut out of the top wall, leaving a central strap 72. Flaps 70 and 71 have base score lines 70b and 71b, and intermediate score lines 700 and 710, respectively.

The flaps 68a, 68b, and 68c are joined inwardly back to back with flaps 69a, 69b, and 690, respectively. As shown in Fig. 13, flaps 68a and 69a, and 68c and 690, engage edgewise against the insides of the bottom rims of the lower cups to prevent outward movement of the cups, and flaps 68b and 69b are disposed between the bottom rims of the lower cups to hold them against inward movement. Strap 72 engages between the upper cups, under the beads around their upper rims, and flaps 70 and 71 are bent downward along score lines 7012 and 71b, so as to engage inside the upper rims of the upper cups. Preferably, tabs 70a and 71a are made to catch in the grooves 32a in which the covers of the cups are seated. This holder can be easily packed by inserting a stacked pair of cups into the right-hand end, for example, and tilted slightly so that the lower cup rides over flaps 68c, 69c, and the bead of the upper cup pushes flap 70 up slightly and engages over strap 72. Flap 70 is then pressed down inside the upper cup. The same process is repeated in inserting a pair of stacked cups in the lefthand end.

The cartons here described secure groups of cups together to form neat, firm packages which can be easily handled and stacked one on top of the other. If desired, spoons can be dropped into a sleeve before the last stack of cups is inserted. These cartons require very litthe paper board, and can be assembled on a straight line type of folding machine, as all the folds which must be made at the time of assembly run in approximately the same direction. The assembled cartons can be stored flat until used. The vertical, or nearly vertical, flaps tend to lock automatically when a stack of cups is inserted, so that the cartons can be packed by hand quickly with a minimum of attention and effort, and also lend themselves readily to packaging by machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: a pair of articles having upwardly projecting top rims and downwardly projecting bottom rims; and a carton comprising a continuous band having open ends through which said articles may be inserted and having a top wall overlying said top rims and a bottom wall underlying said bottom rims, means on said top wall engaging said top rims and resisting removal of said articles through said ends, and a first and a second flap projecting upward from said bottom wall and disposed in line with one another in the direction of insertion of articles into said open ends, said flaps having adjacent inside edges each engaging inside the bottom rim of one of said articles to prevent removal of the articles through said open ends, and a third flap disposed in line with and between said first and second flaps, said third flap having two side edges each engaging outside the bottom rim of one of said articles.

2. In combination: a pair of articles having upwardly projecting top rims and downwardly projecting bottom rims; and a carton comprising a continuous band having open ends through which said articles may be inserted and having a top wall overlying said top rims and a bottom wall underlying said bottom rims, means on said top wall engaging said top rims and resisting removal of said articles through said ends, and a first and a second flap projecting upward from said bottom wall and disposed-in line with one another in the direction of insertion of articles into said open ends, said flaps having adjacent inside edges each engaging inside the bottom rim of one of said articles to prevent removal of the articles through said open ends, said bottom wall being formed in two parts having central portions bent up,

said central portions being joined back to back to form said flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hinson Sept. 24, 1935 Howell Feb. 24, 1942 

